Man Sitting Down Vaping, Photo by Troy T on Unsplash

Is Vaping Legal? Things You Need to Know

With the popularity of vaping growing so quickly, you won’t have any problem collecting information, buying everything you need, and most importantly, enjoying your experience.

While millions of people are quitting smoking in exchange for vaping, many others are holding back because of an important question:

Is vaping legal?

This is a legitimate question, especially since the vaping industry is in its infancy.

In the United States, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates all electronic cigarette products to be regulated as tobacco products. For this reason, they’re treated in the same manner as cigarettes, such as a minimum purchase age of 18.

Local and State Laws

Many local and state governments are enacting laws regarding where electronic cigarettes can be used. For example, some states have laws that prohibit vaping everywhere that smoking is banned. 

For example, here’s a breakdown of how California is regulating vaping:

Smoke or smoking means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, or pipe, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation, whether natural or synthetic, in any manner or in any form. “Smoking” includes the use of an electronic smoking device that creates an aerosol or vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking.

As you can see, California considers cigarettes and electronic smoking devices to be one in the same.

The California Legislative Information website touches on all the places where vaping is not permitted, such as public parks, playgrounds, and youth sports events. Here’s an excerpt:

A person located in the same park or facility where a youth sports event is taking place shall not use a tobacco product within 250 feet of the youth sports event.

Overall, vaping is 100 percent legal in the United States. However, you must be aware of any local and state regulations that impact what you can and can’t do. 

Once you understand the regulations in your state and local municipality, you never have to concern yourself with breaking the law. Instead, you can focus 100 percent of your time on enjoying every second of the vaping experience! 

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